Mayor Don Guardian joined other city officials for the reopening of a portion of the famous A.C. Boardwalk.

The new stretch of Boardwalk extends from Rhode Island Avenue to Oriental Avenue, an area which suffered damage during Hurricane Sandy.

The first phase of restoring the northern end of the Boardwalk is complete, giving residents and visitors an option to run, bike, and blade a little further down the boards.

“I think you’re seeing a lot of excitement at this end [of the Boardwalk] for the first time,” says Guardian.

Following deterioration over time and damages done by storms, plans call for the Boardwalk to eventually stretch up towards Gardner’s Basin, in hopes of bringing some life back to that area of town.

“You have whole stretches now of land that just look like abandoned land a year ago," says Guardian. "But now there’s a brand new Boardwalk and a beach that’s being replenished, so now you have oceanfront property.”

Local residents are already taking advantage of the new part of the Boardwalk.

But some of the bikers say they’re most excited about the next part of the construction, which is scheduled to be completed early next year.

Now there’s a brand new Boardwalk and a beach that’s being replenished.

“I ride my bike on the Boardwalk often, and you always had to stop there because of this,” says Sonny Ireland, an Atlantic City resident. “And it was way worth it, and it’s going to continue all the way around to where it never went before. It’s going to go all the way to the sea wall.

Construction of the Boardwalk along the promenade near Gardner’s Basin is expected to be finished in a month.

In 2018, all parts of the newly constructed Boardwalk should be connected.

That will allow one solid path towards the Southeast Inlet, something which has never been done.

“This famous Atlantic City Boardwalk is like the front porch for America," says Jean Muchanic, executive director of the nearby Absecon Lighthouse. "So, to have this new beautiful Boardwalk leading right to [the] Absecon Lighthouse, New Jersey’s tallest, is really wonderful for us. We’re really happy about it.”

And with new chairs, arches, and planters overlooking a section of the beach — which is now five times bigger than it used to be due to replenishment work by the Army Corp of Engineers —Guardian sees a Boardwalk fit for everyone.

“So, the concept [is] they can come and enjoy a honky-tonk Boardwalk, a casino Boardwalk, or just beautiful stretches of open Boardwalk, enjoying the dunes and the sea ... all part of Absecon Island and Atlantic City,” says Guardian.

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